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New Delhi:
Some 60 Air India pilots working repatriation flights to carry again Indians stranded overseas have examined optimistic for coronavirus, the airline has stated in a letter to the federal government.
The Vande Bharat mission to repatriate Indians got here “with a heavy price to pay for those on the frontline. As of date, at least 60 plus Pilots have been tested Covid positive,” senior-most pilots of the nationwide service have written within the letter addressed to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri.
“This has had a ‘devastating effect’ on their family members,” stated the letter, protesting the federal government’s choice to drastically lower pilots’ salaries.
The authorities choice to cut back the wage of pilots by as much as 75% is “discriminatory, disproportionate and arbitrary and could have a disastrous psychological impact which could trigger ‘desperate and extreme acts,’ as has been repeatedly proven many times in the past,” warned the senior pilots.
Air India has a debt of round Rs 70,000 crore. The authorities has been making an attempt to dump the airline however no deal has been closed thus far.
Air India pilots have been the primary to fly into Wuhan to rescue stranded Indians and now operates flights below the Vande Bharat scheme to carry again stranded Indian nationals from a bunch of nations all over the world.
More than 7,73,000 Indians have returned from the world over. “It will always be our endeavour to reach out to every stranded Indian with a helping hand,” stated the Minister.
On July 16, Hardeep Puri stated: “You have to decide if you want Air India to survive or do you want to do this. If Air India is to pack up, none of them will get a job. Today, there is a surplus of aircraft and trained people available.”
The minister was justifying Air India’s choice to ship sure workers on go away with out pay for as much as 5 years.
Air India had stated that its monetary scenario may be very difficult as a result of coronavirus pandemic and its go away with out pay scheme for workers is a “win-win” for them in addition to the administration.
Travel restrictions in India and different nations to battle COVID-19 have severely hit airways not simply within the nation however the world over. All airways in India have taken cost-cutting measures akin to pay cuts, Leave Without Pay and trimming the workforce.
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